Talking to the Moon
by Midnight Starshine
Summary: Lillian's mother convinces her to take the offered exchange program to Washington, little did she know that the kind elderly couple wouldn't be able to house her like promised. Luckily for her, Sam and Emily Uley step up to the plate and offer to take her in. Too bad one of their 'friends' isn't as nice as the Uleys.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own twilight, but I wish I did, for that would make me rich... Enjoy**

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The sky was overcast and the trees loomed around the isolated road like tall, immovable protectors. I absorbed all of the greenery with great interest, wondering how much sunlight moss needed to grow in such damp conditions. Large ferns, tiny evergreen trees and enough green shrubbery to make the ground look like a sea of leaves hid the dirt from sight. I stifled a tired yawn and glanced at the taxi driver in the seat ahead of me. He barely spoke a word the entire drive, and the only reason I knew he was alive was his consistent driving. I fiddled my thumbs nervously, trying not to shift around in the dirty back seat. My hand itched for the book in my purse but I knew my car sickness would prevent me from getting any reading done.

A painted wooden sign passed by and I suddenly grew nervous. La Push, I was almost to La Push. Being here wasn't exactly my idea, but it didn't really bother me either. In fact, I was a tiny bit excited up until now. When my mother first brought up the exchange program I thought it was the silliest idea I'd ever heard, but I was easily convinced. It's not like I had much keeping me in Wisconsin anyway, just my family. I didn't have many friends and I didn't really participate in extracurricular activities. Honestly I believed my mother was sending me here in the hopes that I will actually connect with people my age in a healthy and positive way. It was a bit silly, and very embarrassing, but I knew she meant well. It wasn't the fact that I'd have to make new acquaintances or learn a new school that had me worried, no, it was the call I received the day before I took a plane to Washington.

As I was triple-checking that I packed everything I'd need for a year away from home, we received a call from my host family. The felt horrible about it, of course, but it wasn't their fault. In a cruel twist of fate, the lovely elderly couple I'd been writing back and forth to had a horrible house fire that rendered them unable to house me. They would be fine, they were moving in with their eldest daughter, but that left me in a tricky situation. They had worked it all out before even calling, but I was worried. I was now to stay with a lovely _young_ couple that are apparently pillars of the community. They promised I wasn't intruding and that the woman, Emily, was more than thrilled I would be staying.

What unsettled me, though, was the fact they didn't mention how her husband felt about this.

I was startled from my thoughts when the driver violently braked and I looked around to see that we were in the driveway of a lovely little home. The driver looked back at me with his barely-there mustache and his bland, dark eyes. I pushed my hand into my pocket and pulled out the required amount of money, including a tip, and handed it to him. He pressed a button and I heard the trunk pop, and I opened the door quickly and snagged my purse, rushing to get out of the disgusting cab. He watched me manhandle my bags from the trunk, not even offering to lift a finger, and pulled away the moment I had all of my bags on the yard and closed the trunk.

I took a deep breath of the crisp, natural air, and sighed. I steeled my nerves and straightened my spine, dragging my multitude of suitcases behind me. I lugged my way up the small stoop and freed one of my hands to ring the bell. I searched around the door for the little button but I couldn't find it, so I settled for knocking. I set one of the bags on my arm onto the ground to give myself a wider range of motion, and lifted my hand to knock. Just as I was about to, the door swung open and knocked me onto my butt. As if that wasn't enough, the door pushed my bag over and the contents spilled out, landing one of my precious books into a dirty mud puddle. My heart cracked when I noticed the cover, it was my favorite novel. I made the sound of a wounded animal and turned to look up at whoever opened the door.

He wasn't looking at me though, and he stepped around me and left the property. All I saw was his back, and how ridiculously tall he was. I sighed again and felt my lower lip pucker out in a pout. My poor, poor book. A noise in the doorway caught my attention and I looked up, spotting another guy standing in the doorway. At first he glanced at where the other man had left, but his gaze quickly turned to me. He seemed surprised to see me on the ground, my bags open and spilled around me. He quickly shook it off though and bent to help me pick my stuff up off the ground.

"You must be Lillian Greene," he said. I nodded and he quickly continued. "I'm sorry about Paul, he has a temper."

"That's alright," I replied, my voice barely louder than a whisper. I knelt at the edge of the stoop and pick up my book, gazing at it sadly as brown water dripped from its pages. I looked back to the man. "You must be Mr. Sam Uley?" I meant it as a statement but it came out more of a question.

He smiled, "You can call me Sam."

"I suppose you could call me Lilly then." He gathered up my bags and somehow managed them through the small door, I quickly followed with my sopping wet book. I glanced around the room and smiled, it was lovely and homey and had a lot of neutral colors. it seemed a bit messy, more so than simply lived in. I cleared my throat and tried to break the silence, "You have a lovely home."

"You're lucky you got here when you did, the guys just left," he laughed. I tilted my head in confusion but smiled politely. "If you'd have gotten here any sooner the place would have been much messier than it is now."

We fell into another silence as he led me through the small, two-storey house. The lived-in homey theme carried through the entire house, and it was open and bright with a lot of windows. You could see the forest surrounding the property from almost any point in the house, and all of the rooms seemed to be centered around the kitchen, so I don't think I could get lost. He lead me down a small hallway with about four doors, he pointed out the last two and said that those were to his and Emily's room, and their master bath. The other was an unfinished room and the one closest to the stairs was to be my room. Across from my room was a full bathroom, one he said wasn't used often as he and Emily had their own and the guests used the half bath downstairs, so I could basically claim it as my own.

After setting my plethora of stuff into my room he told me that I could get settled and that Emily would call me to supper in an hour or two. I flopped onto the soft double bed and looked around the room, this would be my home for the next year. It was nice, well furnished and roomy. My gaze quickly abandoned the ordinary room for the view though, and from the large bay window I had a perfect view of the back yard. I decided that it would be my reading spot, and I got myself up to start unpacking.

After finishing packing and having a wonderful meal with the Uleys, I decided a few things. For one, Emily's scar doesn't detract from how beautiful she is, both on the outside and the inside. Two, Sam is a very stern person who is more serious than not, but he looks at Emily like she is the sun, the moon, and the stars. Three, I could be happy here. The only thing that concerned me was the fact that they often have a gaggle of teenage boys that spend a good portion of their time here, and I would end up going to school with them. Sam told me they are nice, and that the incident with Paul shouldn't make me wary of the other guys, but I'm a naturally shy person, and all these people concerned me. Maybe I could get away with hiding in my room, reading, whenever they show up.

Turns out I couldn't.

* * *

The final days of summer vacation drifted by on a lazy breeze, and school started in less than a fortnight. Emily was the kindest woman I had ever met, and she taught me to cook during the day. Sam was nice enough, stern and straight-faced, but kind underneath. The 'boys' dropped in unannounced quite often, but so far I had managed to avoid them like the black plague. Unfortunately that couldn't last forever, and my luck had run dry.

Emily was busy in the kitchen, baking cookies and adding to the massive amount of food she had handy in case any of the boys dropped in and required nourishment. I walked into the kitchen and smiled, watching her dance around in a flurry of activity for a moment before I interrupted. I cleared my throat and she jumped, "Sorry Emily, do you need any help?"

She laughed, "Not right now Lily, but could you hang around for a minute, Sam will be coming home and then we can eat."

I shrugged my shoulders, "Sure,I'll just watch T.V. for a while." She smiled and waved me off, returning to her kitchen duties. I wandered to the living room, sitting myself on the couch and curled up at the end. I turned on the television, settling on an hour-long crime drama and quickly got lost in the plot. Before I knew it the house was invaded and the channel was changed. I spun to face the holder of the remote, recognizing the back that faced me. "Excuse me?" I tried, but he didn't respond. "Um, I was watching that." He glanced at me and grunted, a strange, noncommittal noise that basically shrugged off my presence. My blood boiled and I opened my mouth, but before I could say anything more, Sam interrupted.

"Lilly, so you finally decided to meet the guys." I shrugged, glancing back at the imposing and irritatingly rude _child_ in front of the T.V. I carefully uncurled myself from my spot on the couch and stood, beckoning for Sam to lead the way. "Great! Now the pack-" he paused, glancing at me for a moment before continuing' "-isn't all here." He cleared his throat, "You've met Paul."

"Yes, he's a delight," I muttered under my breath, but he seemed to have heard it. By then we had entered the kitchen only to see poor Emily fending off three boys as she tried to finish out meals.

"This is Seth, Quill, and Embry," he pointed out each burly yet extremely attractive guy and they gave nods of hello in return, between stuffing their faces with some of Emily's cookies, of course. I lifted a hand in a weak wave, beating down the urge to blush and flee. "Guys, this is Lilly, she'll be going to school with you."

The one named Seth chewed quickly before speaking, "The recluse living here? Why are we only meeting her now?"

I hid a scowl, "I've had more important things to be doing with my time." My tone was a frozen wasteland and I tried to warm it with a smile, but it probably didn't turn out how I intended. Oh no, I started to backpeddle. "Well, nice meeting you, but uh, I have to -you know," I broke off, quickly scurrying to the only escape from the cramped kitchen. I swore I missed the archway when my face came into contact with a solid wall. Turns out it was a solid wall of muscle, and it hurt my nose. I rubbed it and glanced up, noting tall, dark, and mean above me.

He growled out a harsh, "Watch it" before I got a chance to sneak around him and practically run to my room and slam the door.

I flopped down onto my bed and cursed myself. God, I'm such an _idiot_! What do I mean, 'I have better things to do" I have nothing to do! I made Sam and Emily look bad too, all their kindness and generosity and how do I repay them? By insulting their friends. Well, the one named Paul deserves it, he's a douche, but maybe they didn't mean to insult me by calling me a recluse. Is that what friendly teasing is? I'll have to go to school with these people and I've already ruined our first meeting. I turned over and let out a groan of despair into my pillow.

Soft voices filtered from the kitchen and I inched closer the the air ventilation. I knew it was rude but after living here for a few weeks, you learn that from a specific room, the air vents carry the sounds from certain other rooms. Mine happens to eavesdrop on the kitchen.

"Look what you boys have done!" I heard Emily scold. "She finally got the courage to say hello and you call her a-" there was a pause. "What did you call her?" Something was mumbled but I'm pretty sure I knew what was said. "A _recluse_! That girl probably took that to heart, you buffoons!"

"Emily don't you think-" Sam tried but Emily cut him off.

"Yes I do think! I think that girl decided to avoid _all _of the pack now because of this! Her stay in La Push is going to be miserable now!" I could practically see Emily waving around a wooden spoon as she treated those huge guys like children. It brought a smile to my face, but her words, while in defence of me, made me kind of sad. She was right, I was planning on avoiding all of them now, was that really too terrible and idea?

But that wasn't the reason my mother sent me here. She wanted me to meet new people, make actual friends. I couldn't do that if I insult someone then flee. I stood from my bed and smoothed my hair, flinging the door open and stomping down the stairs. I squared my shoulders and strut into the kitchen with as much courage and determination as I could muster. I took a deep breath and clenched my jaw for a second before words tumbled out of my mouth like verbal vomit. "I'm so sorry, I really don't have anything better to do its just I was super nervous and feeling a bit pissy and then I felt a bit insulted and acted like a cornered animal, and I really didn't mean it I'm sure you are all nice people but I wouldn't know that because I haven't actually talked to you but I guess I should be quiet now." I was staring at the floor and my fists clenched at my sides. I added a soft, "I'm sorry."

There was silence. I swear you could hear a pin drop in here. My hands started to sweat a little and I risked an upward glance. Emily was smiling and Sam's lips quirked in an upward motion. The boys seemed a bit surprised and the mean one wasn't really even looking at me. I wanted to flee again but I settled for rubbing the back of my neck awkwardly. Oh, this was supposed to be much smoother, they probably think I'm weird. I messed up worse than before.

"Um, you're welcome?" Seth said, mirroring my actions. He smiled awkwardly at me and nudged the others. The muttered, "No problem" and "Its cool".

My head shot up to them and I beamed. Clasping my hands in front of me as relief filled me. "Wonderful! Oh good, I was so worried I ruined everything." Someone snorted and I immediately knew it was Paul, the ass. I resisted the urge to give him a dirty look and instead looked to Emily. "Did you still need my help?"

She stared at me for a moment. "Oh! Yes, of course dear. Just the dough, like before." I nodded and hurried over to the counter, taking some flower and sprinkling it onto the countertop. I got busy helping and the boys all went into the living room. We worked in a comfortable silence before Emily spoke up. "That was brave of you Lily," she commented softly. I blushed a little and shuffled on my feet.

"Well, I'm here to make friends, might as well start now."

"Don't mind Paul, sweetie, he's just a big grouch."

I stifled a disbelieving laugh, "Grouchy may not be the word I'd use. But really it wouldn't have mattered if my poor book hadn't suffered his 'grouchiness'." I was still angry about that, it was my favorite book, and I might never find another like it. Honestly the only reason I had it was because my grandmother gave it to me, and I have no clue where she got it from. I tried buying another version, but I couldn't find it anywhere. Not even Ebay or Amazon had it, and that's what surprised me the most.

"What happened to forgive and forget, don't they teach that anymore?" Emily laughed, poking me with the rolling pin.

I rolled my eyes at her, "That was my favorite book, and an heirloom,_ and_ its very rare! I've looked everywhere for another one, and that _-that brute!- _had to ruin it! Ugh." I flailed my arms and glared out the window. I wanted to rave about it to her, knowing she would let me, but I was aware that he-who-shall-not-be-named could walk in at any moment.

Emily just laughed, and that was how my peaceful days of avoidance were shattered.

**Please please please review! It gives me warm fuzzy feelings and ideas!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I posted the second chapter right away because I could. Enjoy!**

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"Lily, could you do me a favor?" Emily called from the kitchen. I glanced down at my book and sighed in sadness, placing a worn leather bookmark in place and closing it. I sat it on the window seat and got up, stretching my sore muscles. sitting in place really made my legs hurt. I walked down the steps and walked up to her, startling her again. "Oh, stop that dear! You walk so quietly, you need to announce yourself!"

"Sorry," I apologized with a smirk. "What did you need?"

"Right, could you go pick up the things on this list, I'd have Sam do it but he's out, and none of the boys know what half of these things are." She handed me a list of items on a piece of lined paper.

I looked it over before I nodded, "Yeah, but how am I gonna get there?"

I swear a creepy smile spread across her face, but it was gone so quick that I wasn't sure. "Oh, Paul will drive you."

I lifted an eyebrow. "Oh? Did you ask him, because I'm not going to." There were three days to school, and I had spent a lot more time with the 'pack.' Why they called themselves that, I didn't really know, but I assumed it was some weird friendship thing. I got along with them all rather well, except Paul, and they helped me to look forward to school. They always told me that they'd 'have my back' and 'look out for me.' It was sweet, you'd think I was their only female friend. And then there was Paul, I swear to all that is good and holy that he would rather rip out his own tongue than even spare me a word. He has never even _glanced_ at me. It was like I didn't exist.

"Yes, I did," she replied, just a tad smug. I knew it peeved her that I avoided him at all costs, but what could you really expect. I rolled my eyes at her and was about to retort when the subject of conversation showed up.

I didn't even get a word of farewell to Emily before he ushered me out the door and to a rusty old pick-up truck. My jaw jumped and I glared backwards at Emily. I got in and buckled up, staring straight ahead and waited. This is going to be sooooo awkward, I just know it.

For the most part of the ride we were silent, the only noise being the rickety truck lugging its heavy body down the road. The tension rose until I couldn't stand it anymore. I cleared my throat, "Uh, thanks for driving me?" He just grunted. My eye twitched in irritation, but I sat out the rest of the ride in total silence. Once we reached the super market I practically leapt from the car, flinging my door open and almost running to the door. To my dismay he followed. Internally I groaned, why did he feel the need to come with!

I grabbed a cart and navigated quickly through the already familiar store, glancing down at the list only a few times as I filled the cart. As irritating as my shadow was, the cart was worse. One of the wheels was messed up and kept trying to tug the cart to the right, and it took constant correction to keep it on stupid thing snagged on a corner and the cart rocked dangerously to the left. I almost kicked it in anger, but my embarrassment overrode that. A few of the lighter boxes tumbled out and I sighed before stooping to pick them up. Paul did as well and soon there almost all of the groceries were back in the cart. I went to pick up the last one when my head bumped a warm solid object and I winced. I pulled back and rubbed my forehead, looking up. Paul had grabbed the box and was looking at me. For the first time ever, we actually made eye contact. He seemed to freeze, but I sat up and took the box from his loose fingers. I put it back in the cart and continued on, not even noticing his bewitched stare.

The ride back was even worse.

For some reason he kept glancing over at me and opened his mouth as if to say something, and then clamped his mouth shut. It was grating on my nerves and I was slowly losing my shyness in favor of irritation. He did the mouth thing again and I snapped, "Just spit it out already!" He stared at me in shock. My arms crossed over my chest and a scowl formed on my lips. He blinked stupidly but didn't say anything. My eye twitched, "Whatever."

I then proceeded to realize that I just sounded like a grade A bitch. And then I remembered that he is a grade A douche, and I shouldn't feel bad. And yet I still did.

He was silent for a beat before he blurted out, "Why do you hate me?"

"You do realise we have met before, right?" Oh no, I'm getting worse. All this pent up anger and rage has come out in cruel words, oh dear. Is this my defense mechanism?I panic and I just turn plain nasty? Well, I guess that's good to know.

He ignored the comment. "So how did you get dragged into doing Emily's chores?"

"How did _you._"

"I asked first."

"She asked, so I obliged."

"So, how often are you at Sam and Emily's?"

I stared at him, disbelief etched on my face. He better be kidding me, I know I'm not that noticeable, but _really?_ The dude has been ruining my stay for weeks, and he can't even bother to know who he was being a dick to. "Are you serious?" I asked incredulously.

He fidgeted a bit. "Yeah."

"I've been living there for weeks now!"

"Oh."

We fell into silence, my arms crossed over my chest and anger practically radiating off of me. Once we pulled into the driveway I opened the door, gathered all of the grocery bags in one go, and slammed his door shut. I stalked to the house, practically ripped the door open, and dumped the paper bags on the counter in front of Emily.

She took one look at me and intelligently decided to stay silent. I heard the buffoon follow me into the house but pointedly ignored him. "I'll be down for supper," I informed Emily in the least emotional tone I could muster. I brushed past Paul, making a point to bump his shoulder as I stalked past. I made it to the room before my anger turned into tears and I cursed myself. Why is it that when someone angers me, I cry? That's the stupidest thing ever, and I hate it. I also hate Paul.

He thinks he is some big bad wolf lookin' cool and doing badass stuff, but really he is just the douchey 'big bad' wolf, blowing down the piggies houses and making the general populace hate him. I huffed and flopped on my bed, smashing my face into my pillow and just stewing in my anger. I didn't even bother to listen in to their conversation in the kitchen, I didn't care, not at all. In fact, if he were to go die in a hole right now, I'd be throwing a party.

But that's mean, maybe I'd just burn the ladder out of the hole. There, passive aggressive, not just aggressive.

* * *

Night fell and I stared out of my bedroom window. The night sky from La Push is one of the prettiest things I've ever seen. The stars are so bright it looks like a thousand tiny diamonds are twinkling in a sea of blue velvet. The clouds don't often hide the sky either, at night they usually just add a touch of mystery and fantasy to the darkness. The moon seemed bigger here too, like ever crater was more defined and that if I just reached far enough I could touch it. I stared at the masterpiece as I mulled over the ending of my last novel.

It was simple, the good guys won, the shy girl that readers can relate to got the guy, and it all turned out alright in the end. Too bad that's not how life works. In books, the guys like Paul are really nice underneath it all, and are just misunderstood. But that's probably why so many young women stay in abusive relationships, they believe in their happy ever after and wait for it. Hell, what do I know though. I'm probably just a bitter teenage girl who will die alone with a plethora of cats, hung up on some actor or artist or something.

Figures that I could read five hundred pages in five hours, but I can't talk to the Big Bad in my own life. Why would I want to, anyway? Why do I care that I was a huge bitch to him earlier, he hasn't shown any remorse for being a dick to me. He doesn't even remember. I heard Emily call from the bottom of the stairs and got up, gently placing my book on my bad and closing the blinds on my bay window.

I walked downstairs and left all of my anger at Paul in my room, letting it leave me. It would have been a noble gesture of great emotional control, if it hadn't slammed back into me like a semi truck the moment I stepped into the dining area. There, next to my usual spot, was Paul.

A low growl emitted from the back of my throat. A stern look from Sam set me straight, but my body and mind stayed tense with unease. Why is he here? Before I could hold my tongue, I was spitting anger again. "Oh, so Big Bad finally realizes I've been here the whole time, how _wonderful_." I sat in my chair and folded my arms, avoiding eye contact with Sam.

"Lily," he warned. I stiffly nodded my head, silently dishing myself some potatoes and green beans. I passed the serving dishes to Paul, not looking at him either. I decided ignoring him would be my best defense, and turned to Emily.

"Dinner is wonderful, as usual Emily," I praised her, already a few bites into my meal. Sam and Paul repeated my words between shovelling as much food into their mouths as they could.

"Thank you sweetie," she smiled, glancing between myself and Paul. "I'm sorry I didn't warn you that we'd have company."

I smiled sweetly, "Oh, that's alright Emily, it is you house _I'm staying at._" I slid my eyes to Paul and glared. I returned my gaze to her and my smile turned a bit more, well, bitter. "I know sometimes it feel like I've been here so long, I almost blend in with the furniture!" I forced a laugh and Emily hid a grin behind her hand. I saw Paul pause in his eating, but he didn't say anything. "One might even go so far as to not see me, even when they had knocked me down on my first day here and spilled my most precious belongings all over the front porch. I am often told I look like a doormat." Sam barked out a laugh and Emily stifled giggles.

Paul stopped eating and looked at me. "Who did that?"

The odd growl came out again as I cut my eyes to him and put as much venom into my voice as I could. "You did you great big hooligan, you trashed my favorite book and stomped away without even glancing at me to see if I was alright."

I saw his adam's apple bob as he swallowed. "Right, I remember."

"Of course," I tilted my head thoughtfully. "I supposed you'd have recognized me later, when I accidentally bumped into you and you growled at me and said to me, how did you say it? Oh right, 'watch it'," I imitated his low rumbling voice as I mocked him. Sam was still laughing and Emily was giggling at us. I calmly stood up and took my plate to the sink, rinsing it off and putting it in the dishwasher. "Thank you again for dinner Emily, it was very satisfying." I felt better, and kind of guilty, but mostly better. I nodded to Sam, who was trying to calm himself, and walked to the stairs.

I almost got into my room when a hand grabbed my arm and spun me around. Paul ran his hand through his hair. "Look, I'm sorry alright!"

I folded my arms across my chest, "Oh, I guess if you're sorry, all is forgiven."

"How about I make it up to you?"

I narrowed my eyes at him, "How?"

"You get stuck here a lot right? I could take a day to drive you around La Push and you could do your girly shopping."

I thought about that for a moment. "I want to go to a bookstore, and you can't rush me. Then I want ice cream," I relented.

A smile broke out across his face and his hands twitched towards me before returning to his sides. "Great! Its a date!"

I sputtered, "What! N-No! No, no, no, it is _not_ a date!" His grin grew. "Nu-uh, no." I fumbled with my doorknob and opened my bedroom door, darted inside and slammed the door in his face.

"Make sure to wear something cute!" he called through the door. I waited until I could hear his truck leaving before I sighed. I looked at myself and saw my reflection in the mirror, my unusually pale skin was flushed and I looked like I just ran a mile. I shook my head, it is _not _a date! Stupid, dumb idiot, who'd want to date him anyway! Well, he is good looking, and muscular. I pinched myself, stupid, dumb, idiotic mind, he's mean!

Why is it that a guy shows me a modicum of kindness and attention and I turn into a blithering mess!

* * *

Emily woke me the next morning and immediately made my day horrible. "Morning sweetie, get up and get ready for your date, you don't wanna be late!"

I threw my pillow at her. "It is _not _a date," I grumbled, trying to drag my body into the world of the waking. I sat up and pulled to blankets off of me and glared at Emily. She smiled.

"Now, I set out some clothes for you, so go take a shower and get dressed, then I'll do your hair and makeup and then," she rambled on and I tuned out. I waited for her to finish before I walked to the bathroom and began my morning ritual.

After I was all groomed and ready to dress I walked back to my room, not expecting Emily to still be there. "Can I help you?" I asked cautiously. She smiled at me and held up a dress shirt with hearts and glitter. "No."

She frowned. "C'mon Lily, you'll look nice."

"I'll look like a three year old who picked out my own outfit for the first time."

"Fine," Emily huffed, flinging the shirt to the ground. She began to dig through my drawers in search of who=knows-what. I sighed and grabbed a pair of undies and some mediocre clothes that could look passable in public. I walked back to the bathroom, changed, and when I came back Emily had found the solitary dress that was forced with the rest of my stuff. Also, my room was trashed. "Wear this!"

She flung the garment at me and I batted it away. "I'm already dressed." She looked me up and down and shook her head. "What?"

"No, no, no," she tutted. "That's just an oversized sweatshirt and some jeans, that is not _dressed_."

"Yes it is, I'm wearing clothes."

"No, you have to wear something nicer."

"Why?"

She sighed, "Lily, he isn't doing this to apologize."

"That's too bad, because that's all this is." I crossed my arms and frowned. "He didn't even know who I was until I smacked my forehead into his, I practically had to beat my presence into his head."

"Sometimes it only takes one look," she said softly. He eyes were soft and full of meaning I didn't understand. I sighed and let my arms fall back to my sides, signaling my defeat. "That's better!"

"I'm still not wearing a dress," I warned. She just smiled and threw something else at me. I caught it and looked at it. It wasn't terrible, it was something I'd normally wear, but it was cute. "Alright, I'll be back." Once again I made the trip to the bathroom and back, glancing at my dresser mirror.

I looked normal, I had a snug t-shirt on and some jeans that made my legs look amazing. I had a zip-up sweatshirt and I was planning on tennis shoes. I shrugged at myself and looked at Emily. She nodded in satisfaction and pulled me to her so she could do my hair. She tugged and pulled my hair every which way until every inch of my scalp hurt, then she almost stabbed my eye with eyeliner. She didn't do much though, which I was thankful for, I didn't want to look like a clown. My hair was in a high ponytail with a few small french braids feeding it. It wasn't over the top and it didn't make me feel overdone, and I approved.

"Well done Emily, I must say, you didn't run away with yourself."

"Thank you!" she cheered, smiling at me for a moment before running downstairs. I could hear her talking on the phone for a moment before I walked into the living room and pulled out a book. I forgot what was coming for a while, my mind being numbed to the outside world by glorious tales of heroism and fantasy. I practically jumped when there was a knock at the door. "Lily, could you get it?" Emily called from upstairs. I didn't remember her leaving the first floor, but I simply shrugged off the question. When I read, it was like I was comatose to the rest of the world.

"Yeah I got it," I called back. I opened the decorative front door and paused in surprise. "Oh," I managed. Then my plans for today rushed back to me. "Oh! One second I gotta grab my purse." I didn't let him say anything as I closed the door on him and jogged upstairs to grab my purse. I double checked for my wallet and then headed downstairs, opened the front door, and left. "Alright Big Bad, lets get this over with." Still not a date.

* * *

**Please review, I have no idea how to write this date, tell me what should happen! I need your glorious ideas! REVIEW.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Because none of you losers would tell me how to do this "date" scene, I had to do it from my mind. And now its gonna be all corny and dumb, and very, very cliche. I hope you enjoy!**

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Its weird how you can think one thing and then later find out you are completely wrong. I thought Emily was nice, turns out she has a hidden agenda and is really the devil incarnate. I expected that the moment I walked out the door, I would be only vaguely paid attention to, I was dead wrong. Paul must've found that I really didn't like to talk to new people, and had decided that the best way to torture me was to put me in awkward situations and ramble off questions I'd be horribly rude not to answer. And when I replied with even the simplest information about myself, he latched onto it like a rabid dog with a bone.

But that wasn't where it started. I left the house and he ran ahead of me, ensuring that he got to the truck and could open the door for me. Not even my look of confusion and mistrust could deter him, and he insisted on waiting with the door open until I climbed into the old pick-up truck. I sat, buckled up, and prepared myself for the worst. What I didn't expect though, was the rush of oddly personal and completely non personal questions that tumbler from his mouth.

The first was rather random and non personal. "So, what's your favorite color?"

"Uh, red I guess?" I answered, though it sounded more like a question. "What's yours?" I asked mostly out of politeness, but he perked up considerably when I asked.

He looked me dead in the eye when he said, "A blue-gray mix that shimmers like silver in the sun." I stared at him for a while after he had returned his eyes to the road. Maybe I Shouldn't ask things in return, because that was weird. Weird because he described a romanticized version of my eyes, and I desperately hoped that was a coincidence, and that I had not just gained some time of stalker. "Um, why did you come to La Push?"

"Well, there was an exchange program and my mother said I should go."

"How'd you end up at Sam's?"

"The people I was supposed to live with had a house fire."

"Do you like it here?"

"I suppose, the scenery is nice but the people could use a bit of work."

He laughed and I smiled to myself, that was a good one. I would have pat myself on the back if that wasn't weird. "Where did you want to go?"

"In life?"

"No, right now."

"Oh, bookstore."

"After that."

"It'll be dark by the time we leave the bookstore."

He was silent, then, "You're kidding right?"

"Nope."

"Its not even noon."

"I know, I told you when we made this deal that you would not be able to rush me," I replied, completely relaxed. I would make him regret this. I would wipe that weird grin off his face and make him realize how boring today is going to be. And then he would think twice before he tells random people that his favorite color was the color of their eyes.

"But, don't you want to go to the mall or something?"

"Is there a bookstore in the mall?"

"No."

"Then no."

"Alright then." He paused, then asked, "So, did you date anyone at your hometown?"

I flicked my eyes to him and my nose wrinkled. "What?"

"You know-"

"I don't really think I want to tell you that."

"Oh. Well who was your best friend?"

"I didn't have one."

"What! Why?"

"I'm a lone wolf." I cursed myself internally, that was probably the stupidest thing I have _ever_ said. A lone wolf, really? I couldn't just lie and say I had plenty of friends so that I don't look like some loser desperate for attention. A lone wolf, stupid.

He glanced at me. "You seem more like Little Red Riding Hood."

"Great," I said sarcastically, no one wants to be the helpless little girl. But if I was a stranded little girl, then he was definitely the wolf. "I already call you the Big Bad Wolf, anyway."

"You do, why?"

"Because you always act all big and tough, and because you're kinda mean."

"You think I'm mean?" He actually sounded sad, and that surprised me. But how could he think I'd see him as any different?

I rolled my eyes, whatever. Who cares if he's sad that I think he's a mean person. "I bumped into you one time and you practically bit my head off."

He blinked, "I did?"

"Yeah, you did." I snorted, "Am I the only one who remembers that we have met before?" He was quiet and I sighed internally. I probably hurt his feelings and he is too much of a prideful imbecile to say anything, but really? I should be the one getting all huffy, I'm the one who was on the receiving end of his nastiness. I glanced out the window and noticed the La Push sign asking us to come again. My head tipped to the side in confusion, it was obvious we were leaving La Push, but why? I looked back at Paul, "Where are we going?"

He glanced over at me, "You said you wanted to go to the bookstore."

"Yeah," I agreed, "but why are we leaving La Push?"

"La Push doesn't have a bookstore."

If I was drinking something I would have spat it out. "What!" I exclaimed. "Why not?"

"La Push is a small town, we don't really need one." He shrugged, almost as if not having a bookstore in town was completely normal.

I shook my head in horror, "Tell me you at _least_ have a library!"

"In the school, yeah."

"But not a public one?"

"Nope," he popped the p and didn't look at all concerned. I, on the other hand, was internally screaming.

"But-but where do you get stuff to read, what if you just need a quick fix? You have to drive an hour just to get one little book?" I saw him nod. "That's awful!"

"You really seem to like reading," he commented, looking at me curiously.

I made a face at him. "Duh, its better than watching T.V. and socializing with people." I didn't add that I absolutely hated talking to people, I didn't want to give away my kryptonite. "I have a deep appreciation for all types of literature, like sci-fi, romance, adventure, even non classical literature, like comic books and manga."

"What the Hell is manga?"

I rolled my eyes at him. "If you don't know then I supposed it doesn't matter, but! My love for literature has developed into almost all things that tell stories, especially video games."

"_You_ play video games? What do you play, Mario Kart?"

I glared at him but I didn't give him an answer. I folded my arms over my chest and pouted, well, more like sulked. First he insults my reading habits, then he insinuates that I only play silly children's games like Mario Kart? How dare he, I bet he doesn't even leave the gym, and probably can't tell his knee from his forehead. I was honestly trying to be civil -kind of- and now that's obviously over. How could I possibly talk to someone I share no interests with whatsoever. Well, maybe I don't know what his interests are, but they are most likely something I wouldn't do unless gym class demanded it.

I turned and looked out the window, watching the greenery pass by in a blur. I was completely honest before, the scenery here is amazing, and it reminds me so much of home. The large evergreen trees are the same, the way that ferns grow all over the forest floor, and even the climate was almost the same. La Push got a lot more rain than my hometown, but that was due to the mountains nearby. Probably one of the only differences between home and here was the rocky terrain, and the fact that I know next to no one. At least at my old school I knew everyone's names and personality, and sometimes, depending on their blabbermouth friends, I would overhear juicy gossip for later blackmail.

When you are quiet, people tend to overlook you.

"So, uh," Paul started. I looked over at him and waited, a frown pulling my lips downward. "Your skin is kinda- well, are you? Um." He kept stuttering over his words and I almost laughed. Oh, poor Big Bad, he can't even get the question out.

"Yes, I'm native." He sighed in relief, whether to the fact that I'm native or that he didn't get called racist, I don't know. "I come from a large tribe in Wisconsin, and that was how I got the transfer offer. They thought it would strengthen the bonds between two tribes." I shrugged, "I think three people from your school went, and I'm one of two here in La Push." I thought about Anna, the other girl to accept the transfer. I don't know her personally but I know of her, and I don't like what I hear. She is a bit of a skank, and although she is pretty and smart, she prefers to sleep around and crush all of the respect I could have had for her. Of course all I have to go on is rumor and gossip, but it has to have some truth in it.

"Oh, do you know the other person?" he asked.

"Kinda."

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It was a long drive. La Push may be relatively close to Port Angeles, but its not close enough. The car ride was awkward and strained, and I don't understand why he kept asking questions. He didn't even act like he was asking so that I'd ask in return, and he never tried to steer the conversation towards himself. Honestly I've never spoken to anyone like that before. Even my own mother liked to talk about herself more than she liked to talk about me, but she's not the question asking type.

Paul pulled into Barnes and Noble and I scoped out the area. I didn't want to sound rude, but I spoke up anyway, "Hey Paul?"

He seemed surprised. Well, I suppose that was the first time I called him by name. "Yeah?"

"Can we go there instead?" I pointed to a building a little farther down the main street.

He followed my finger and shrugged. "I guess, but are you sure?"

I smiled, "Yup."

He pulled out of the parking lot and down the street. I smiled at the building, this is where the good books would be.

It was a small building, hardly noticeable. The parking lot couldn't be reached from the main street, but it was well kept and wasn't crumbling beneath the truck's tires. The building itself was a pale stone, with lovely wood accent pillars and shutters. It was quaint, and only a searching eye would find it. The small sign read: "The Crabby Reader" with a small crab in glasses hanging off the sign. The windows allowed me small peeks into it and I saw floor to ceiling shelves, all organized and neat.

When Paul parked I jumped from the car and was almost to the door when I heard his door close. I turned around. "You can do other stuff instead of coming with me," I told him. I really didn't want him to come with me. I could spend hours in there and I did not want some complaining jerk following me around the whole time. He would probably insist we leave right away, before I could even decide what books I'd want. That or his hulking frame would tip a shelf over.

He ignored me and walked in, I scowled to myself but followed.

The few people inside gave Paul disbelieving stares, but glanced at me and understood that I was the one who wanted to be here. There was a middle aged woman at the register, and her casual dress and familiarity with her area said she either has worked here for a long time or that she owns this place. She smiled at me when she saw me looking and then returned to the book she was holding. Paul was lazily looking around and so I left him, wandering to the sci-fi section and beginning my search.

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A loud laugh broke me from my thought and I glanced at the clock. I had been here three hours already, and I had a hefty pile of books next to me. I had a few I've been looking for and a few new ones, though I haven't found a replacement for my ruined one. I looked behind me and saw Paul, just sitting there, staring off into space. Actually he looked to be staring at me, but his eyes were glazed over and I wouldn't be surprised if he was sleeping with his eyes open. He was sitting on a small stool, his chin resting on his fist and he looked positively bored.

I felt a little bad, sure I wanted him to regret this, but he was nice enough to offer to bring me. I looked down at my books again, they could tide me over for a while, at least until I get settled into the new school's library. I suppose we could leave. I sighed, I still hadn't been to a few sections, but I guess I could skip them.

I snapped my fingers in front of his face and he startled. "What! Wassup?"

"I just need to check out and we can go."

He must've heard the hesitance in my voice because he didn't look convinced. "Are you sure?" I didn't reply, I just picked up my finds and walked to the front desk. He followed behind me, not even stumbling a little. I had been moving just a small bit more than him and I felt as though my legs were dead. Of course he just _has _to be graceful.

We passed a rack on the way and my attention was diverted. He bumped into me but didn't apologize and I felt my jaw clench. An apology would have been nice, and normal, even if it was my fault. I filled it away in my head as another reason I didn't like Big Bad, but otherwise ignored him. I glanced at the titles on the shelf and smiled as I saw one. I grabbed it off the shelf and added it to my pile.

I walked to the register and put my pile on the counter, smiling at the woman as she looked up. I could see Paul practically hovering over the door, barely waiting to leave. She looked over at him and smiled, giving me a wink. My own smile fell and I looked at her like she was crazy. "He's cute," she told me, and I felt my nose scrunch up.

"This is _not _a date," I grumbled, pulling out my wallet as she priced the books.

She shook her head at me, "No boy would stay in here for that long if he didn't really like the girl." She smiled at me like she knew something I didn't and I scowled at her. "Your total is twenty-three ninety-five."

I pulled out some money and paid her, wishing her a good day as I left. As we exited the store Paul let out a long, exaggerated sigh of relief, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"Thank God we are out if that place, that was _so _boring."

I bristled, "You could have gone somewhere else, you know."

He turned the smirk towards me, lifting his arms over his head and lacing his finger together behind his neck. "But if I left, who would protect you from all the big, scary, bad guys lurking behind every corner?"

"That's rich coming from you, Big Bad." I rolled my eyes, marching to the truck as he followed at a leisurely pace. He didn't bother to open the door again and I was a little disappointed, I guess that was a one time thing. Whatever, once a douche, always a douche, one door being opened for me doesn't change that.

I lifted myself into the truck and he turned to me again, "Where to?"

"Arcade."

He smiled, "Alright!"

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**Please please please review! I wanna know what you think, tell me how corny it is! Tell me how to make it un-corny! Please! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Oh dear, here goes nothing I guess...**

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Apparently Los Angeles had a place that's a lot like Funset Boulevard. Only here, its for older kids, and there aren't any four or five year olds running around screaming. From the moment I walked in, I was in awe. The ceiling was incredibly high and neon lights were the _only_ lights. The tile flooring and the walls were pitch black and the only windows were blacked out, the only light came from the games themselves or from neon lights that lined the floor and ceiling, and outlined doorways. A giant hand was attached to the ceiling in a way that made it look as if was reaching down, trying to grab a patron or two, and the whole place was designed to look realistically fake.

I smiled when I saw the plethora of games, there was enough to keep me entertained for days. On the ride here I was forced to listen to Paul brag about how great he is at first person shooters, and it took all I could not to smirk at him. I glanced over at him, watching him look around as if he owned the place. Oh, today revenge would be the sweetest candy, and his crushed pride would be the sugar on top.

"Hey Paul?" I called, putting on an innocent expression. He looked at me and I resisted an evil smile. "Would you show me how to play those shooting games?" I smiled a sickly sweet smile and watched as he smirked.

"Sure." We walked over to a small, two person hunting game, and we both put in the required tokens. "Alright, I'll go first, show you how its done, then you try." He raised the bright orange gun to his shoulder and held it there, shooting at the different options to select the type of game. I waited patiently as he went first, shooting three of the four bucks, a racoon, and a doe. His smirk remained as his score was tallied and the game called for player two.

I looked over at him, "My turn then?"

"Yeah, just hold it like I did and shoot, don't forget to reload and cock the gun."

"Got it!" I watched as the animals roamed for a second, then I released all of my inner video gamer and laughed as I took down all of the required bucks, a raccoon, and a squirrel. My score tallied as I looked over at Paul. His smug look was gone and seemed confused. I heard him mutter something about "beginner's luck," but it wasn't clear.

We finished that game, and several others, all with me coming out the reigning champion. I watched him get more frustrated and more competitive with each game and I couldn't help but grin wickedly. I was probably being mean, but I couldn't help myself.

As we spent more time here he became more and more snappy, getting angry over everything. I wasn't helping, but I wasn't taunting him -kinda- either. Eventually he threw in the towel.

"This is frickin' stupid!" he yelled, kicking the poor machine in anger.

I stood behind him slightly, my head turned to the side. "What do you suggest we do then, Big Bad?" I noticed a that there were quite a few curious onlookers, trying to see what was happening. I glared at each of them, but only some were deterred. Paul looked to be in thought. Suddenly he grabbed my hand and started dragging me away from the games. "H-Hey! Where are we going!" I tugged on my hand but he just shook his head.

"You'll see."

He pulled me through a door marked "Batting Cages," and I shuddered. I don't _do _sports, or coordination. We came to an unused machine and he pushed me forward. I turned back and scowled at him, "I don't like baseball."

"Too bad," he laughed, and I could practically see the need to beat me at something burning in his eyes.

I sighed and my shoulders drooped, as if a giant weight was just pressed down on me. I took a helmet and a bat, opened the door, and entered the cage. I stood at the diamond and I heard Paul starting the machine. I could hear it whir to life and then a ball was being hurtled at my head. I didn't move an inch as the ball flew past me, instead staring straight ahead. I heard Paul laugh and I tightened my grip on the bat, just in time as another ball was shot at me. I swung this time, but too late.

I could hear Paul laughing at my every attempt, and after every failed try I ground my teeth harder, determined to at least _hit _a ball. After the fifth ball Paul started yelling 'advice' and it made my blood boil even more. Finally they stopped coming and I had to resist the urge to throw my bat and helmet to the ground. I started walking out and he walked past me, entering the cage with a heavy bat and no helmet. I put my stuff back and started the machine for him, hating him for every ball he hit right into the back nets. He didn't miss a _single _ball, and he smirked the entire time.

When it was finally over he put his bat away and wrapped a giant arm around my shoulders, steering me back into the main arcade. "That, Little Red, is how its done."

I glared and tried not to hiss at him. Once we got back to the main room a I knew I needed to get rid of some of this angry energy, and I headed to the Dance-Dance machines. "Paul, want to try this?" I asked, though my snarky tone suggested I didn't want him to join me. He shook his head lounged against a nearby wall.

I lazily flicked through the songs and waited for one to peak my interest. I found one, set it to hard, and prepared myself. I bent my knees, spread my arms, and actually had fun. By the time I was finished I had played three songs, beat my best score, and turned around to see people waiting in line for the machine. "Oh, I'm sorry," I apologized, collecting my purse from the ground nearby. I made to scurry away put they stopped me.

"Do you want to play with us? We only have three people and we wanted to play teams." I looked all three of them over, noticing that for three white boys, they were pretty tan. One was blonde and the other two were dark haired, one of them having glasses and all of them wearing basically the same graphic t-shirts and jeans.

I shrugged my shoulders and tried not to look down and blush, "Sure."

The blonde one smiled, "Great, you can go with m-"

"No," Paul interrupted. I glanced behind me to see his hulking frame hovering over me. He was staring the three down, and doing a good job of it.

"Whaddya mean no?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

"I mean no."

"Did you want to play, 'cause you ca-"

"I don't want to play!" he yelled, suddenly in my face.

"Then what's your problem?" My arms flung out and landed at my sides, clenching into fists.

"_You _are my problem," he growled. He started to shake a little but I ignored it, too blinded by my sudden fury.

"What the Hell Paul?" I roared. "You have been nothing but a selfish, angry brute since the moment I met you! What have I done wrong, did I look at you funny? Was I supposed to bow to you and lick your shoes?" I hardly noticed the three leaving, scurrying away from our argument. I kept getting louder and Paul shook harder, practically vibrating. "I'm _so _sorry that I agreed to this, I should have just kept avoiding you!" I wanted to say more but he looked like he was having an upright seizure. "Stop shaking like that!"

He growled and grabbed my arm, marching me to the exit. I tried to squirm away from him, but just like before, he held tight. Only this time it wasn't light hearted, it was angry and every tug made me stumble. Once we made it to the truck he opened his door and pushed me in, causing me to scoot to the passenger's seat as he climbed in. His shaking was slowing but his knuckles gripped the steering wheel so tight they were white. I glared out my window and stewed in silence, not wanting to talk to him. At some point my belly growled and I ignored it, still glaring ahead.

We pulled into a parking lot and I glanced at the still silent barbarian, not understanding his motives. He parked and got out, walking into the building and I hesitated, unsure if I was meant to follow. I did, hurrying to catch up with his long strides. He was seated at a booth in the back, and I glanced around at what seemed to be a family diner. I quietly slid into the booth across from him and looked down at my hands.

I heard him sigh but he didn't say anything. Eventually an elderly lady came up to us, handing both of us a menu and pulling out a notepad. "What can I get you two?" she asked, her voice like honey to my ears. She looked like the stereotypical grandmother, her light gray hair in a loose bun at the top of her head, only a few strands escaping to rest at the nape of her neck. She wore a sunlight yellow cardigan and light purple, fabric like pants under the diner's black apron. She even had small reading glasses hanging around her neck.

I smiled up at her warm blue eyes, speaking softly, "I'd just like some water, thank you." I felt my belly about to grumble and coughed to cover it. She looked at me suspiciously.

"A skinny little thing like you shouldn't skip meals," she told me, her tone warm but still scolding.

I laughed awkwardly and scratched my arm, glancing around the room. I cleared my throat and tried to keep up a normal smile. "No, its not that I skip meals," I started, but I couldn't look at Paul or the older lady. "I, uh, _spentallmymoneyalready_," I mumbled, the words coming out in a rush and my cheeks burned. When I glanced at the waitress I saw she looked confused, like she didn't hear me, but I would not repeat myself. What kind of person my age spends all her money like that? I should have kept some in case we went to get food. "So, just water for me."

The waitress, who I saw had a nametag labeled Delilah, opened her mouth, but was cut off. "She'll have a cheeseburger," Paul said, though it came out more of a demand. I glanced at him and was about to protest, but he glared at me. "I can pay for your lunch, don't look at me like that."

"I wasn't looking at you like _anything_," I defended, my blush growing darker. "I just don't feel like lunch right now."

He snorted, "I could hear your belly growling the entire drive here."

"Well," I stopped, I really shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. My argument died on my lips and I relented. "Alright, thanks for lunch Big Bad."

He smirked and turned to Delilah, ordering a mountain of food. I was used to the large meals now, after having lived with Emily for so long, but I wondered how he could afford to eat practically the entire kitchen. Delilah smiled her motherly smile and pet my arm, walking to the kitchen to deliver the order.

"I'm still upset with you," I told him, slouching into my booth and crossing my arms.

He raised a brow in my direction. "Oh really?"

"Yes." If he thinks that simply buying me lunch will make me forget he totally blew up for no reason, then he is sorely mistaken. There was absolutely no reason for him to be angry with me or the guys I was talking to, we weren't bothering anyone. He acted like one of those horribly possessive douche bags, preventing me from even speaking to a person of the opposite sex. I didn't know where the behavior was coming from, but I don't like it. If I was entirely honest I would say that I prefered it when he completely ignored me, rather than when he was paying too much attention to me. There was silence as I stewed in my thoughts, becoming more solid in the idea that I would be ignoring and avoiding Paul as much as possible. During the school year that should get much easier, and since school was almost here, I wouldn't have to wait long. Once he meets up with his friends he should have no reason to hang around me. Hopefully he would be too busy with sports and friends and whatever to even bother me.

We ate lunch in silence, not even looking at eachother. Delilah made passing comments every once in a while, but I think even she could feel the tension. By the time we were leaving I was itching to be home and alone. I don't think I could stand another hour in the presence of Big Bad, honestly he'd probably suffocate me with his giant ego and oddly possessive actions. Also, if another piece of food escaped his mouth and lands on me, I think I'll scream. He shovels food in his mouth by the handful, almost, and it doesn't always make it to his stomach, sometimes it flies out of his mouth and lands on the person across from him, namely me.

The car ride back was equally silent and tense, and I practically vibrated with relief when I saw Sam and Emily's house in front of me. The car had barely stopped before I had grabbed my purse and was halfway out the door, pausing for a moment to call over my shoulder, "See ya!" I slammed the door behind me and hoped he got the hint that this time I do not want to be followed. Emily came in from the kitchen and was wiping her hands on a dishcloth, looking at me with curious and hopeful eyes. I glared at her and growled, "Never again." She looked like she was about to laugh and I grumbled at her, not necessarily making any sense. I turned and bolted up the stairs, locking my door behind me and throwing my purse on the bed. I paused, my mind turning with a thought. I looked back at the bed and realized I made a mistake, I'd left my books with Paul. I groaned, flinging myself on the bed and hating myself. Stupid Big Bad with his stupid face and stupid personality and my stupid forgetfulness. Now I'd have to talk him into giving them back, great.

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**How was it? Was it okay, was it cheesy? Are my characters believable? On my, I'm worried about this chapter because I always feel like my characters either have the emotional range of a rock, or they jump from one emotion to another like a kid on crack! Ugh, and dialogue is HARD! I'm socially awkward myself so its hard for me to say how people converse... Anywho! Please review, it makes me happy when you do!**


	5. Chapter 5

**'Ello everyone! Howdy doody? I hope you enjoy this chapter, because I really liked how the dialogue turned out! (I hate dialogue, so so so much)**

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School. The one thing I both loathe and care about. Honestly, I'm not a straight A student, I'm not super smart or nerdy enough to worry about getting a 4.0 G.P.A., but I'm also not average. I'm not the best, but I'm pretty far up there. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I like to think I have a nice balance of book smarts and common sense. It is not the school work or grades that really bother me, though, its the people. Honestly, who wants to spend eight hours a day with people they either don't know or don't like well enough to talk to. Its not that I don't know how to talk to people, because I don't, but its also that I really don't want to. Kids are mean and high school is known for being a cesspit of hormonal, angry teenagers that need some type of scapegoat to throw all of their confused and negative feelings at. And so, I avoid everyone and thus avoid all drama.

That whole bullying thing? Never happened to me, but that might also be because I'm practically wallpaper. And changing the location of my misery won't change that, and all thanks to Big Bad, I know that for sure. On the bright side, I'd rather be invisible than a target.

A lot of the guys in the 'pack' offered me a ride to school, but I declined. It was a sweet offer, but I also would rather not have the attention of arriving with those bumbling and drool-worthy _**buff**_oons. And when I say buff, I mean there was one time they all walked in with their shirt off and I almost stumbled and killed myself on a sharp corner when I couldn't take my eyes off of their sculpted abs. Thankfully no one but Emily noticed, and we shared a laugh about it later. If they ever found out, I may die of embarrassment.

And so, with their gracious offer denied, I was stuck walking to school my first day. La Push doesn't have any sidewalks, which I found odd, and so I was stuck walking on the side of the road. Sometimes I'd balance on the curb for fun, but I don't _do _balance. Or coordination. It was one of those rare days that we didn't get rain too, and while it was cloudy, it was warm enough to wear long shorts and a baggy sweatshirt.

My tennis shoes scraped along the loose gravel as I trudged along, almost regretting not taking the ride, but I shrugged it off. It was better this way. The surrounding trees and foliage smelt damp and earthy, and the almost endless walk calmed me, at least until the school came into view.

It was a small building, a lot smaller than my old school, and the red bricks stood out against the surrounding forest like a flare in the night. It was a single-story rectangle with only one raised portion, where I assumed the gym would be. There was a wall of windows where inside an office area could be seen. There were several people inside, all looking busy, and the glass door to that area had giant letters above it that spelled: Office. I took it as a sign (appreciate my puns) and walked over towards it, having to pass through a newly paved parking lot. Students had already begun filtering in, although some stayed by their vehicles to talk to their friends.

No heads turned as I passed, no one whispered behind their hands while looking at me, and I considered all of that a success. As a native in a school of natives, I didn't stand out. I kept my head down as I entered the building, avoiding touching people with a skill I had developed many years ago. My day was already going great when I entered the office and I smiled at the receptionist at the front desk.

"May I help you?" she asked, her bright red lipstick distracting me for a moment. She was pretty, if not a little over the top, and she was young, maybe in her early thirties. Her clothes were fancy and respectable, with a lacy tanktop under a low-cut blouse. She watched me like a hawk though, with bright blue eyes that practically pierced you with their intensity.

"Yeah, I'm new?" Why does everything I say come out as a question!

"Oh," she exclaimed, looking excited. "Its a pleasure to meet you, I'm Nancy, welcome to La Push! You are one of the transfer students, right?"

"That's me."

She beamed at me, "Then here is your locker number and combination, you received your class schedule and map in the mail correct?"

"Yeah, I have it with me."

"Off you go then, enjoy your stay!" She waved as I walked off and I wondered if she is always that chipper or if its just today. Maybe the staff was told to be extra nice to the transfer students. I looked over my schedule and paused, it wasn't quite right.

"Excuse me," I called to Nancy, and she turned back to me with a confused look. "There must be some mistake, I didn't sign up for any gym classes."

She laughed, "No one signs up for gym classes! They're mandatory."

"But I took my gym credits at my old school, I don't need any more," I protested.

"Here it is required for all four years."

I wanted to ask why and beg that I drop the class, but she didn't look like she would buy my argument. "Alright." She smiled and looked back down at her desk and began to riffle through some files. I took that as my signal to leave and quietly exited the office area. I studied my map for a moment before I stepped into the hallway, blending in with the throng of students. The school didn't seem big enough to get lost in, but I must have missed my locker somewhere, and I paused on the side of the hallway to check over my map.

"Lily?" I looked up, noticing a girl about my age standing in front of me. She was pretty, if not a little plain, but when she smiled it lit up her face. I struggled to figure out how she knew me, but then I remembered.

"Kim!" I smiled, folding up my map. I had met her once before, she came to Emily's looking for Jared and he immediately whisked her away. We were barely introduced before he practically dragged her from the house. She seemed nice enough, though almost as shy as me. "What's up?" I asked, wondering why she sought me out.

"I was wondering if I could compare schedules with you," she told me, her voice soft and hard to hear in the loud hallway.

"Of course!" I dug through my pockets until I found it, handing it to her. She compared the two papers, smiling as she handed mine back. "Do we have anything together?"

"Yes! First hour and then two classes right after lunch."

"Great!" I shuffled my feet for a moment, feeling a little awkward asking for help. "Um, could you help me find my locker?"

"Yeah, what's the number?"

I glanced at my locker combination sheet and answered her, "Three hundred and eighty-four."

"This way then." She led me back down the hallway I came from and to the right. As we walked, she began to talk to me. "You always have someone in the pack in your class," she told me.

"Really?"

"Yeah, every class."

"Wow, that's weird," I wondered aloud. "I was afraid I wouldn't know anyone, but I guess that wouldn't have been too bad."

"But who would you sit by?"

"I would sit by myself, its just partner things and group projects I'd worry about."

We finally got to my locker and I spun the dial, popping the old thing open on the first try. Kim nodded along with what I was saying, "I can see that." I deposited the books I wouldn't need until lunch in the puke green locker and closed it, adjusting my backpack so it was more comfortable. Kim was quiet, glancing around and fidgeting. "Can I ask you something?"

I frowned, confused by the sudden question. "Yeah, sure."

"Do you hate Paul?"

My eyebrows rose as surprise showed on my face. "Paul?"

"Yeah," she trailed off, twiddling her thumbs as she glanced between me and anything else. When I didn't say anything, she continued. "Its just, you don't talk to him, and you kinda seem to be avoiding him."

"Why wouldn't I?"

"What?"

"Avoid him, I mean. Why wouldn't I?" I stared at her, incredulous. She blushed a bit and I wondered what she was trying to get at.

"Well, you talk to everyone else in the pack," she mumbled.

"Everyone else in the pack is nice!"

"Paul's nice!" she defended and I quirked a brow at her. "Sorta," she added after a bit.

I shook my head at her. "Did Emily put you up to this?"

"No-"

"Because she knows that Paul's been a bit of a dick to me, and I avoid him so I don't have to deal with that."

"That's it?" she asked with a sigh of relief.

I grew confused, "Well, yeah."

"And if he were to be nicer to you, you wouldn't avoid him?"

"Hypothetically speaking, yes.."

"Cool! Class is this way," she bounded off, obviously excited about something. I trailed behind her, not wanting to lose her and my way. She led me to a small classroom and sat down in an empty chair near the front. I sat behind her and she turned to talk to me, "You're not mad at me are you?"

"No, why would I be?" I put my backpack on the ground next to me and pulled out my math book. Math first thing in the morning is going to bite me later.

"Well, I was asking all those personal questions," she sighed, her eyes lowered. I waved her off and she smiled. "Just please, give him a chance?"

My nose scrunched up, "I guess I could."

"Guess you could what?" a voice interrupted us. I whipped to the source of it and my eyes widened. Paul just _has _to be in my class, doesn't he? All the eyes in the room turned to us and I fought back a blush.

"N-nothing," I stuttered, glancing at all the people staring at me. I startled when Paul dropped his bag near me and slumped into the seat across from me. "What are you doing?" I hissed, forgetting that I just told Kim I would 'give him another chance'.

"What does it look like, Little Red?" he snorted at me. "I'm sitting in a desk."

I almost growled at him, but I held myself in check. By this point I lost all sense of place, and I forgot the people around us. "Yes, but why _there?_"

"Aw, don't get all shy on me now," he practically cooed. I felt my hackles raise and I wanted to lean over and scratch his eyes out.

"What? You don't have other people to bother?"

"Nope, just you." I glared as he raised his arms above his head before folding them behind his neck. His large frame barely fit in the tiny desk, and his leg reached across the walkway between us and into my space.

I crossed my arms over my chest, and cleared my throat. "Um, well, I left a few books in your truck," I trailed off at the look he gave me. He seemed amused, as if he were about to laugh. I continued in a much quieter tone, a blush staining my cheeks and my gaze lowered. "And I was wondering if I could have them back."

"What's in it for me?"

My head shot up and I glared at him, "What?"

"I asked what's in it for me? I give you the books, then what?" He grinned at me, though it was more of an evil smirk. I heard Kim giggle in front of me and I spared a second to glare at her.

"Are you black mailing me?" I asked, my voice low and deadly.

He winked at me, "No, of course not."

"Fine Paul, what do you want?" I had to fight the urge to groan in despair. I paid for those books, who was he to hold them against me? I heard people whispering around us and I could hear Paul's name every so often. He ignored everything, of course, but I felt awful. I've never been the center of attention before, and I honestly hate it.

"Another date."

"That was _not _a date!" I practically shouted, silencing those around us before they began muttering again. "Just give me my damn books back!"

"C'mon Lily, I couldn't have been the only one having fun!" he laughed.

"I was having fun," I informed him, and I watched his face transform into a happy smile. I narrowed my eyes at him, "Then I got dragged out of an arcade by a brute of a man, and at that point I wasn't having fun anymore."

He was silent and I turned away from him, focusing on the board in front of me and waited for class to start. I could practically feel Paul's eyes on me, boring holes into the side of my face with his intense gaze. I heard him sigh and then a quiet, "I'm sorry." In fact, it was so quiet I wasn't sure that it was what I heard at all. I glanced over at him, but he wasn't looking at me. I lowered my gaze and felt a little bit bad.

* * *

Class was boring and dull, the teacher, Mr. Deluse, called roll then proceeded to talk about himself for the next forty-five minutes, claiming it was an introduction for us to get to know him. He's been a teacher for over ten years now, he has three kids and two dogs, his wife has let herself go, and he always talks in a loud monotone. He doesn't make eye contact with the class, instead he stares at the back wall, and he has no clue as to how technology works. I ;earned his favorite color is blue and that he can bore anyone to death with his monologues. To be honest, I wasn't listening.

I could hear the whispers around me, and the rumors were circling already. Apparently most believed that I am, or am soon going to be, a conquest of Paul's. From what I was hearing, no one in the pact is very well liked, unless their body is the topic, then they are golden. Anyone who had anything to do with the pack was basically blacklisted, and poor Kim practically had a sign on her back that read, "Steer clear!" If it wasn't so painfully easy to hear the gossip around me, I would pat myself on the back for all of the recon I just did, but I wasn't sure if they were even trying to be discreet. I could see Kim flinch at some of the nastier remarks, but Paul didn't even bat an eyelash.

I honestly wasn't expecting any of the pack members to be treated as if they had the plague, even Paul. When I imagined them at school, they were always the elite, the most popular. Jared was obviously the star child, and Paul the bad boy, Jacob the heartthrob and Seth the sweetheart. Embry and Quil were double trouble, and even Leah was the wild beauty, in my mind they were the center of everyone's world. I expected they would have to beat of suitors with a stick, but this was no where near what I thought. Oh they had the attention alright, but it was almost all negative. The weren't famous, they were infamous.

When the class bell rang I barely heard it, I was so lost in my thoughts. Only Kim packing up knocked me from my ponderings. I packed away my books and walked with Kim to the door. "That wasn't too bad," she tried, her usual cheery voice a little sad.

"Yeah," I cracked a smile for her and waved as she walked down the opposite hallway. I felt more than saw the presence behind me, and I refused to turn. "What, Big Bad?"

He cleared his throat awkwardly, "I'll give you the books back."

I spun around. "Really?" I asked, trying to keep the hopefulness out of my voice, but failing miserably.

He smiled a bit sadly at me, "Yeah, you don't have to go on another date with me."

"That wasn't a date," I told him, but smiled. "That's actually really nice of you Big Bad."

"So, what's your next class?"

* * *

**Please, please, please review! PLEASE! Also, I apologize if some of my puns are awful, I just can't help myself sometimes and I often fall into pun temptation. PLEASE REVIEW!**


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